Friction-clutch.



' H. GEISENHNER.

FRICTIONCLUTGH. APPLICATION FILED JULY 10. 19b8.

Patented Ja. 11, 1910.

srarrris ramada? @WWE 'HENRY Gnismvnunn, or soHENncrA-DY, NEW YORK, assrnon To GENERAL ELECTRICHCOMPANY, A CORPORATION' OF NEW YORK.

FRICTION-CLUTCH.

Application led July 10, 1908. Serial No. 442,825.

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that l, HENRY GEISENHNER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Schenectady, county of Schenectady, State of New York, have invented certain new and useful lmprovements in Friction-Clutches, of which the following is a s iecification.

rfhis invention relates to mechanism for coupling and uncoupling two rotatable shafts, its'object being to produce an etlicient, strong and easily operated friction clutch.

The invention consists in the combination of a driving member with a driven member, one carrying a fixed friction element and the other an expansible friction element, Wedges for expanding said element, gears connected to said Wedges by Wrist pins and pitmen, and racks for operating said gears.

In the accon'ipanying drawing, Figure 1 is an end elevation of a clutch embodying my invention; Fig. 2 is a diametrical section of.

the same on the line 2 2, Fig. 1; Fig; 3 is a view of one ot the Wedges with its gear and pitman; Fig. 4 1s a section of the. same;

and Fig. 5 is a cross section on the line 5-5,

Fig. 2.

lt is immaterial which of the two rotatable members does the driving, but for the sake of convenience, let it be the shaft 1, carrying the fly-wheel 2 having a cylindrical bearing surface, preferably a concentric cylindrical flange 3 secured to one side of saidavheehand preferably hollow to form a chamber for lubricant. A filling spout 4 is provided, and the inner Wall of the chamber has a number of tine holes 5 to feed the lubricant to the annular brake-shoes hereinafter described. At the base of the llanges, next the fly-Wheel, is a'beveled shoulder 6, while a beveled ring 7 is secured by screws S to the outer end of the flange, said ring lying inside the flange with its beveled surface facing the shoulder 6. The other rotatable member is a shaft 5) having a tubular portion 10 adapted to slide longitudinally on the shaft 1, and through the hub of a Wheel made in two sections 11, 12, placed side by side on the portion 10, and having keyways 13 which engage With keys 14 in said portion of the shaft. The rim of the section 11 has a sliding fit inside the shoulder 6 on the flange, While the rim of the section 12 has a similar lit inside the ring 7. At the adjacent edges of said Wheel-sections, each wheel has a beveled flange 15.,

ln the spaces between the wheel sections and the flange 3 are located annular brake. shoes,.consisting of split-or segmental rings. Those numbered 16 are V-shaped in crosssection, and lie against the tlanges 15. The

i Specification of Letters Patent.4 Patantgd Jan. 11, 1910.

other shoes 17 lie adjacent to the shoulder 6 and the ring 7, and their cross-section is that of an inverted V, so that they also tit against the shoes 16. It will be seen that if lateral pressure is brought to bear upon' them, by moving the Wheel sections apart and lsqueezing the shoes between the anges 15 and the shoulder 6 and ring 7, the brakeshoes 16 will be expanded out against the flange 8, and the-shoes 17 will be contracted upon the rims of the wheel sections, While I at the same time the shoes will be forced tightly together. The effect will be to produce a frictional interlock between the wheel sections and the fly-wheel, so that the rotatory movement of the latter will be imparted to the former, and through them to the shaft 9. The tivo Wheel sections` are urged against the Wheel section 12 Aand at the end against the wheel section 12 and at the other end against a nut 19 on a stud 2O lixed in the Wheel 11 and projecting through ahole in the Wheel 12. The stud and spring are preferably mounted in short arms 21 extending radially inward from the rims of the two Wheel sections. y

Suitable means are provided for forcing apart said Wheel sections, preferably by providing oppositely-disposed inclined radial grooves in the spokes 22 of the Wheel sections, said grooves converging toward the rims of the sections, and placing in said grooves Wedges 23, with mechanism for forcing said Wedges radially outward to separate said Wheel sections. The preferred mechanism consists of gear-wheels 24s, each located ina recess in the base of a Wedge, and carrying on each side av Wrist-pin 2 \v`hich is connected with the outer end of the Wedge A by a pitinan 26. The gear Wheels mesh with racks 27 cut 1n the outer surtace of the.

tubular portion 10 of the shaft 9 bet-Ween the keys 14. The shaft 9 can be slid to and fro by a forked lever'28 carrying pins 29 which pivot in ay ring 30 hold rotatably between two collars 31 on said shaft.

The operation is follows. By means of the lever Q8 the Shaft 9 is moved toward the liywheel 2, thereby causing the racks 2T to rotate the gearsl l, whose pitinen :Ztl push i the wedges 223 radially outward in theii'i grooves in the spokes of the wheel sections ll and i2, thereby forcing .said sections apart against ihe tension of the springs 1S. This movement of the. wheel .sections crowds the annular beveled segmental brake-shoes 1G, li together causing them to hug the rims of the wheel sections and grip the tlange 3 on the flywheel 2, and thus couple together the shafts l and 9. rl`he parts are so piopoi'- tioned that in going to the closed position of` the clutch, the gears maire substantially a half revolution and carry the wrist-pins up to the outer dead center; thus ell'ectually locking the clutch and relieving the lever QS from all strains.

In accordance with the provisions of the v patent statutes, I-have described the principle of operation of my invention, together with the apparatus which I now consider to represent the best embodiment thereof; but

I desire to have it understood that the apparatus shown is only illustrative, and that the invention can be carried out by other means.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is:

l. A friction clutch for two rotatable members, comprising a cylindrical bearing surface on one member, wheel sections side by side on the other member, brake-shoes between said bearing surface and sections, and means for forcing apart said sections in an axial direction to set the shoes.

2. A friction clutch for two rotatable members, comprising a cyliL-rical bearing surface on one member, whe/ei sections side by side on the other member, brake-shoes having beveled edges supported on said sections adjacent to said bearing surface, and means for separating said sections axially to crowd said shoes together and against said sections and bearing surface.

3, A friction clutch for two rotatable members, comprising a cylindrical bearing surface lon one member having a .beveled shoulder, a beveled ring opposite to said members, comprising an annular bearing surface on one member, two wheel sections side by side on the other member, annular brake shoes between said sections and suiface, wedges acting radially between said lsections to separate them, a gear wheel and pitman for actuating each wedge, and means for rotating said gears.

t. .k friction clutch 'for ltwo rotatable members, comprising an annular bearing surface on one member, two wheel sections side by side on the other member, annular brake shoes between said sections and surface, wedges between said sections having recesses in their bases, gear wheels in said recesses, pitinen connecting said gears and wedge., and racks for actuating said gears.

7. The combination with a shaft carrying a fly wheel having a yconcentric flange, of a co-axial shaft movable longitudinally and provided with racks, a pair of wheel sections splined on said movable. shaft, wedges for forcing apart said sections, gear wheels meshing with said racks, pitmen connecting said wheels and wedges, and annular brakeshoes between the wheel sections and said flange, adapted to be rendered operative by the sliding of the movable shaft'.

S. A friction clutch for two rotatable members, comprising` a cylindrical bearing surface on one member, two wheel sections mounted side by side on the other member and arranged within said bearing surface, each section being provided with a cylindrical bearing surface parallel to the first mentioned surface, expansible shoes between the bearing surfaces on said member and said sections, and means for moving the sections relative to each other in an axial direction to effect the expansion of said shoes against the. bearing surface on said member.

9. A friction clutch for two rotatable members, comprising a cylindrical bearing ,surface on one member having a beveled shoulder at each edge thereof, two wheel, v sections mounted side by side on the other and arranged within said bearing surface, each section being provided with a cylindrical portion having. a bearing surface parallel to the first mentioned surface. expansible shoes mounted on the cylindrical portions of said sectionsand having beveled lateral surfaces that engage said shoulders, and means for moving the sections relative to each other in an axial direction to bring the beveled surface of the shoes and shoulders into engagement to thereby effect the expansion of said shoes against the bearing surface on said member.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set' my hand this 9th day of.July, 1908.

HENRYGETSENHONER. Vitnesses HELEN ORFORD, FRANK J. DORE.

member 

